Scene’s Top Culture Stories of 2013

2013 was a big year for Asian cinema, kicking off with Ang Lee’s Oscar for best director followed by Singapore film “Ilo Ilo” scooping up Cannes’ Camera d’Or. From the silver screen to the written word, check out Scene’s top culture stories:

TV Recap: MasterChef Australia Season 5 Finale: MasterChef Australia aired the finale to its fifth season Sunday night in Australia. Having relocated from Sydney to Melbourne after last year’s final, the new series saw contestants cooking in Dubai, flying first class to Paris for snacks, and spending an entire week worshipping at the altar of culinary god, eyewear icon and all-round sex symbol Heston Blumenthal.

Jay Chou, Forever Young: Thirty-four is a bit young to be fielding questions about midlife crises, but the Chinese pop idol Jay Chou is well into his second decade of fame—and facing a crowded field of aspiring stars ready to supplant him.

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Asia Wins Big at Cannes: Jia Zhangke, Hirokazu Koreeda and Anthony Chen scooped up major honors at the 66th Cannes Film Festival.

Alexis Rodriguez-Duarte

Summer Read: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’: Its characters enjoy the most extravagant of modern indulgences: a yoga studio on a private jet, a wardrobe that documents its owner’s outfits, a yacht whose bowling alley converts to a catwalk.

The ‘Pi’ Effect: How Ang Lee Boosted Taiwan’s Movie Industry: In Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi,” protagonist Pi didn’t expect to find a tiger on his boat, at first struggled to survive, but in the end emerged for the better. The same might be said of Taiwan, whose fledgling film industry the movie’s Oscars have thrown into the spotlight.